WLP001 Slurry + IIPA = help!

[Balanced_Brew]

just spent the last 5 minutes cussing.

1.082 IIPA, pitched a s%*t ton of WLP001 slurry into a 2L starter (which was very active) - I pitched Wednesday, 6 days ago. Had it in a 70F room, fermentation was fast and furious, took it to the basement which is 64-66F after that. I realize this is cold for a WLP001, but things still seemed to be moving along. I have it down there next to the other carboy of IIPA with WLP090 in it, side-by-side comparison.

Checked it today (6 days in) and I've only gotten down to 1.047 or so. It's not done, my blow off tube is still bubbling every 7 seconds or so - but can I hope for it to get down to my minimal target of 1.018 at this point? I kept a low temp (150) mash, and there's some dextrose in there as well, so I was trying to get as dry as is reasonable.

I just turned my space heater on down there to try to get it up to 68F for awhile anyway...

At 4.4% ABV at this point, there's not much I can do right?

 

[Bricks41]

Give it time... I have a 1.095 sitting in the garage with an ambient temp in the low 50s, but the ferment (WLP001) is holding the carboy temp at 61-63. It is chugging away just fine at the lower temp. Not every thing will ferment like gang-busters down to FG. I think it is more important to get a clean ferment. If you had it in a 70F room then the yeast could have been dealing with operational temps of 75+. Keep it in the basement, perhaps rock the carboy, get some yeast back in suspension and give them another go.

 

[DagoBrewer]

I did a IIPA a few months ago that literally took almost 2 months to ferment down. I used a healthy 001 starter too. it was giving me a bubble every 8-10 seconds for about a month after the initial week off crazy blow off tube action! I just let it sit in the closet and forgot about it and brewed some other stuff to hold me over.

 

[Balanced_Brew]

That's good to know, thanks. I had a similar thing with a Saison this summer, as expected, but I didn't know 001 would just chug along for that long.

 

[daksin]

It's a little slow, but not outrageous. Also- are you using a hydrometer to check the gravity, or a refractometer?

 

[Balanced_Brew]

Hydrometer. I'll hold on for awhile, I'd just be really pissed if this one didn't finish up, spent a lot of $ on hops.

 

[MG1602]

What is your recipe? Is your yeast starting to collect on the bottom? I would figure it would be lower than 47 after 6 days.

 

[dcp27]

Had it in a 70F room, fermentation was fast and furious, took it to the basement which is 64-66F after that. I realize this is cold for a WLP001

64-66F ambient is def not cold for 001, but a 5F drop is never helpful to yeast. always start colder not hotter. 001 can usually handle that tho and by 6 days id expect this done, so dunno whats wrong. please post the recipe for more insight

 

[tre9er]

64-66F ambient is def not cold for 001, but a 5F drop is never helpful to yeast. always start colder not hotter. 001 can usually handle that tho and by 6 days id expect this done, so dunno whats wrong. please post the recipe for more insight

THIS!

Don't freak out and cool your beer down when you realize it's too hot. Try to stop the bleeding by all means (ie. don't let it get warmer) but if you bring temps down by much, the yeast will start to fall out.

That's a clean yeast. 70 wouldn't have been too bad anyways. At this point you should warm it back UP 5 degrees, give it a swirl, and I bet you see activity again.

 

[Balanced_Brew]

Malt Bill is (10 gallons):

Amount Fermentable PPG °L Bill %
21.2 lb Pale 2-Row 37 1.8 71.4%
5 lb Maris Otter Pale 38 3.75 16.8%
1.5 lb Corn Sugar - Dextrose 46 0.5 5.1%
1 lb Caramel / Crystal 40L 34 40 3.4%
1 lb Carapils (Dextrine Malt) 33 1.8 3.4%

Mashed 1hr at 151F

It hasn't slowed down much since my first post (5 days ago), now at about a bubble every 9 seconds. Haven't taken another gravity measurement, gun shy and it's a pain, I'll wait until it slows way down.

 

[tre9er]

DId you raise the temp up a tad and give it a swirl?